February invites us to pay closer attention to love, to history and to the stories that shape who we are.
In that spirit, and during Black History Month, I want to highlight an inspiring project co-created by
my colleague Tory Dearth, supervisor of benefits, who is participating in Leadership Greater Little Rock, a program of the Little Rock Regional Chamber. Her class studied Little Rock’s Historic West Ninth Street neighborhood, a once-thriving Black business and cultural district whose story reflects both loss and remarkable endurance.
A focal point was the Dreamland Ballroom, a cornerstone of the city’s Harlem Renaissance–era music scene and a vital gathering place for the Black community. National legends once performed there, and today, the Dreamland is being thoughtfully restored.
“The story of West Ninth Street is deeply compelling — the impact of I-630, the loss of Black-owned businesses and the rich cultural history of music and community institutions like the Dreamland Ballroom,” Dearth says.
The project was a true team effort, created alongside fellow class members Wendell Kinzler, Faith Thomas, Matthew Martin, Crystal Humphreys, Kay Mueller, Trent Murchison, David Rice and Blake Buchanan. The group met with local leaders and business owners, attended neighborhood meetings, visited historic sites and listened closely to the people who know West Ninth Street best.
To help bring community voices forward, Dearth enlisted our co-workers and audiovisual specialists Chance Allmon and Kyle Dollarhite, who produced a stunning short documentary that highlights preservation and revitalization efforts.
“One of the most powerful takeaways from this project was witnessing the resilience, creativity and persistence of the people and organizations working to preserve and reimagine West Ninth Street,” Dearth shares. “Cultural preservation here is not theoretical — it is active, intentional and deeply rooted in community.”
That kind of care — for place, for people and for shared history — is its own form of love. And it’s one worth celebrating.
With heart,
Jennifer Christman Cia